David Beckham, the retired soccer great, stood in line with hundreds of others for 12 hours on Friday to pay his condolences to the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was lying in state at Westminster Hall in London ahead of her burial on Monday, Sept. 19.
The 47-year-old London-born athlete told Reuters that he believed it was acceptable to stand with his fellow countrymen to respect the late queen, who died on September 8 in Scotland at the age of 96.
Beckham remarked honestly, he believes it’s what he’s always wanted to do. He believes they’re all here to honor Her Majesty, the Queen, and he believes it’s great to have an event like this. It’s what he believes she would have preferred.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid footballer, who was dressed in a dark suit and cap outside Westminster Hall, claimed that everybody in the five-mile-long line which forced officials to turn some mourners away wanted to enjoy the event together.
He continued that to be honest, it’s exactly what they all hoped for, they all want to be here together. They all want to be a part of anything that commemorates the queen’s incredible life.
He thinks anything like this today is intended to be enjoyed together, so they’ve been here, they’re eating Pringles, Sherbert Lemons, sandwiches, coffees, and doughnuts as well, he continued.
Christopher Anstee, 47, of Cardiff, Wales, who was standing alongside Beckham in line, took advantage of the opportunity to take a photo with the soccer legend.
We come to pay my respects to The Queen and just before we go in we get to meet the handsome Mr Beckham. I got the pic😍 #Starstruck but respectfully 😎 x #DavidBeckham #Queen pic.twitter.com/I19CeToc01
— Christopher Anstee (he/him) (@MrChrisAnstee) September 16, 2022
“We came to pay my respects to The Queen, and just before we went in, we met the gorgeous Mr Beckham.” “I got the shot #Starstruck but respectfully x #DavidBeckham #Queen,” Anstee captioned the image on Twitter.
Anstee stood in line for 12 hours to pay his respects to the late king.
Tearful Beckham pays his respects to the QueenDavid Beckham wiped away a tear as he paid his respects to the Queen after queueing for 13 hours. Beckham slowly bowed his head and stared at the floor as he viewed the Queen's coffin. Read more here: https://trib.al/KxqbL4L
Posted by Sky News on Friday, September 16, 2022
At the end, the experience was worth every single minute. It was an honor to pay personal tribute to a lady the likes of whom they will never see again, Anstee said. It was also fantastic to be a part of something that the world is unlikely to see again.
Beckham’s presence in the crowd only contributed to the event’s “specialness,” according to Anstee.
He stated that David was a true gentleman. He boosted the mood of the audience and made a lengthy journey a little more memorable. He never turned anyone away and always smiled and embraced every encounter. A special day with several special moments.
